Transfer day!

Last night I hopped on a plane and came out to where my IPs live for transfer day today. Everything getting on the flight was awesome, until we got to just east of the area we were landing in and there was a storm. A nice bright lightning storm was going on just to the north of us as we descended for landing. Kind of scary but far enough away from us that I wasn't worried. Just very bumpy going in.

We went to eat a late dinner and came home and I got settled in and slept peacefully all night. And we made it to transfer on time! Unfortunately, due to some extenuating circumstances at work, IM was unable to stay with me during transfer. I felt so bad for her! But her aunt was able to stay with me and I got to get to know her and enjoyed chatting while we waited.

Something interesting happened this morning and I really feel like I need to share it here before I tell you about transfer.

I have been determined lately to stay in God's Word and keep my spiritual life strong going into and through this journey. So I've been doing a lot more Bible reading and praying and a lot of working on my heart. So this morning, we were in a rush and I couldn't do a devotion on my computer before I left. While we (IM's aunt and I) were waiting, I got my phone out and went to my "You Version" app (the Bible app) and went to their devotion programs. I chose one that said a 21-day Women's Devotional, and started at day 1. The verses that it took me to were Luke 1:26-45 when the angel came to Mary and told her she would become pregnant, and when Elizabeth who was barren was pregnant with John. The verse that jumped out at me, other than the topic being impeccable timing, was verse 45 "Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!" 

Anyway,  God is good and He shows His will in our lives in so many ways. As a friend on Facebook put it today, "He still speaks!" and I totally believe it.

Transfer went well, two great embryos were transfered, and as the doctor said, "They flew right in to right where they needed to go!" Then I laid on an incline for 20 minutes, grabbed breakfast, and came back to IPs house to sleep the day away.

So yay! Transfer went great, and I'm enjoying getting to know IPs and their two little boys. Tonight, obviously, we're praying those embies stick, stick, stick!! Pray with me?

Father God thank you so much for the awesome Word in Luke, and for showing it to me. I definitely believe you do what you say you are going to do and I know you have blessed my life beyond anything I could dream up already. Bless the little embryos that were placed inside today, grow them and form them and help them find the right place to burrow in for the next 38 weeks or so. I pray for the rest of this trip to go smoothly, for more awesome time with I & J, and for safe travel home. I know you are working in not only my body but in my heart, and I thank you for that. It's in Your Son's Name I come to you and pray, Amen

Getting ready to go!

At the moment, I'm getting ready to go and getting packed up to go see my IPs and have our transfer in the morning! I'll be taking my computer along and hopefully be posting from there as soon as I can get hooked up :)

I'm taking cake balls with me as a treat for their family, too!

Please pray for the travel to go smoothly, for the transfer to be successful, and for my bed rest time to be restful and plenty of time for the embryo(s) to burro in!! We appreciate your prayers!!

I'll up date soon!

Father God, you know the plan you have for all of us, for me as a surrogate, for I&J's family, and for the two embryos we will transfer tomorrow. Build the embryos up in thaw that they would be ready and able to settle in for the next 9 months. Thank you for the opportunity to do this for their family, I can't wait to get to know them over the weekend! Thank you for all the friends praying for us and for the confidence we have in you. It's in your name only, Amen!

Contortionist Needed

Yesterday morning I started my Progesterone in Oil via intramuscular injection (aka PIO). Since it's intramuscular, the clinic has me doing my injections for this medication in my back side. Fun, right?

For those not in the surro community already: wait til you see those needles! Oh, and not to mention the contortion needed in order to insert, slowly inject, remove the needle AND put pressure on the spot following removal.

Pictured: Friday morning's meds: Wall-itin for sinuses, tylenol for sinus headache, prenatal vitamins, and Estraidol (3x daily)), and the little tiny bottle is PIO. The needle packaging you see pictured is an 18 gauge needle (BIG) for drawing up the liquid into the syringe and a 25 gauge needle for injecting it, it's a much smaller needle thank God! (Compare to the 22 guage I had to use last cycle!) Then you can also see the alcohol swab and the ice pack. 

I set the ice pack in my waist band while I get my meds taken and my shot ready, it's very helpful. I use an alcohol swab to clean the top of the med vile, and another to swab the injection site- I also use it to swab the area afterward and put pressure on the spot area while massaging the medicine in. I haven't needed it yet, but I have a heating pad for when my bum is tired of all the shots and starts getting sore from them.

Anyway, that's my daily dosage for you! Many who read are surrogates, so I'm sorry if this was boring for you! But I love that many who read are not surrogates, so I hope this makes them (you) feel a part of the journey. I hope you are having a great weekend! 

Thank you so much God for everything you've done for us, and everything you are doing and will do. Thank you that so far taking the shots has not been an issue and that there have not been any more side effects than hunger from the lupron and/or a little bit of tears from the estrogen. Thank you God that this clinic lets me use the smaller gauge needle, too! Keep my eyes on you this week as I get ready, and fill our hearts with joy instead of anxiety as we all prepare. Bless I&J and their boys, bless IM as she prepares her heart this week. Keep her in your perfect peace. I ask, God, that you would keep me healthy this week, that I would be fresh and ready for transfer on Thursday. Keep our home safe, healthy, and protected from anything that would try to stand in the way of doing what you have called us to do. We love you, and praise you for everything you are and everything you've done. It's in your name I pray, Jesus, Amen.

Single Digit Countdown!

Today was my mid-cycle lining check and it went really great! My lining had the triple stripe and was 10mm thick on one side and 13mm thick on the other. He stuck with the 13mm number and said it looked great!

We have just 9 days til transfer and we are all getting excited!

This morning I sent my IM something in the mail that I hope makes her smile and brings her a little "luck" for the coming week. I can't wait til she gets it!

So the next week is going to be full of "get ready" errands, grocery shopping for the hubby and kids while they're at home, and somewhere in there, a pedicure for me! Green toenails, it is! (No rhyme or reason, it's just a transfer day tradition to wear green :) )

I have really been clinging to God's word and praying for His hands to go before us in this. The more I pray about it, the more confident I am in trusting Him. I know He has a plan for the embryos I & J have frozen, and can't wait to have a part to play in that plan.

That's all for today! I'll update again on Friday when I start progesterone shots! Have an awesome day :) Ending with a prayer.... please pray along with us if you haven't yet, and thank you if you have been!

Father God, I am full of gratefulness for the work you have done in my life and in my heart recently. There is much to say about the hope and light you bring to my life when I seek hard after you. I'm also very thankful for I & J and their family. I can't wait to take this journey with them. This week as we get ready, I ask that you would prepare our hearts for whatever the outcome, help us to keep our trust in you. Again I ask Lord that the medicines would do exactly what they are made to do, that my body would be ready, and that the doctors would know exactly where to put the embryos for their best chance at life. Bless the journey we are on and bless all those who are involved in the process.  I pray right now for I & J, that you would put a peace in their hearts, and help them to see that those who have gone before them are smiling down on them and interceding on their behalf now, too. Comfort them as they miss their loved ones who've gone to be with you, and give them new strength and hope each day. Thank you for your plan for our lives and the many blessings we have in our lives through your son, in Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

16 days!!!

We're counting down the days! Soon we'll be in the single digits!

Last Thursday I went to my previous clinic in Dallas for monitoring, it was great to see my old coordinator and the nurses again, and Dr. Saleh. I had blood work done and then had a quick ultrasound to check my lining. Once again, everything was perfect! Lining was nice and thin, and getting thinner ;)  I couldn't update that day though, due to Blogger outages, and then got busy this week, my apologies for the delay!

Saturday was the day to decrease Lupron and start Estraidol. Boy, I have to say... While I remembered that Lupron made me really hungry, I didn't realize how the difference in dosage would affect it. I was one starving lady! I found myself finishing my food and then helping my family finish theirs!! I'm still fairly hungry, but thankfully not as bad as I was last week. So thankful for the drop in dosage!

This week not much is going on. I had my physical with my regular doctor today and she's excited that everything is going well so far and looks forward to following my journey. Her nurse does a much better job at taking blood than the ones at SIRM though. I STILL have a bruise from last Thursday on my right arm. On my left, just a tiny little dot where she put the needle.

Tomorrow I increase my Estraidol to two pills a day and we work on building my lining back up on their terms. Next Tuesday I have another appointment to check my lining and we'll be praying for a triple stripe (thick) one!

So other than all of that, and a TON of cake balls over the weekend, there's not terribly much going on! More updates to come as the days draw closer!

I'll end my blog with a prayer, and a request that you pray for us too! It's a busy time for IM at her work, a busy time for me at home with my kids school year ending, and DH's job schedule is challenging at times. In all the things I'm doing day to day it is so easy to stop and pray sometimes, and especially right now, I need to pick up the pace in prayer and get wet in His Word and prepare for the journey ahead.

Father in Heaven, I just want to start by saying Thank You. Thank you for giving me the desire to do this. Thank you that you have given me everything I need to be able to do this. And thank you for introducing me to a wonderful couple to do this for. Thank you for your favor so far in every appointment we've been to, as well. I know that you know everything that my body needs to be doing right now, and I know you've already begun preparing my body for this journey. I also know that you have been preparing my heart for a long time now. Lord I continue to ask for your guidance, for your grace, and for a deeper passion for you as the days get closer to transfer. Keep me in the cleft of your rock and protect me from whatever may come that would try to make me doubt, that would try and get me down, that would try and get me sick or anything that would try and make this not happen. Keep me in your hand and help me to seek you each morning and stay in your presence so I can be fully prepared for all you have in store.


Father as the next two weeks are busy with the kids getting out of school, IM's busy time at work, and all the things we have to do leading up to transfer, again keep our focus on you and your will. I pray that you would show yourself a constant friend to I & J in the coming weeks, be with them, and draw them closer to you because you are the giver of life, and all things are possible through you.  Bless them and their children this week and make your face shine upon them and your glory go before them in their days. Put things in their paths that would make them smile and remember the good things you have done for them and will continue to do for them.  Again, I thank you for everything you've done this far to make this happen, and thank you for going before us all the way. Thank you for making what seems impossible possible and for shedding hope when there seems to be none. It's in you where the true hope is, and in your name, Jesus, we trust... Amen

How could I forget?

Well last night when I posted, I totally forgot that I would definitely be posting a first shot picture!!

Happy Lupron Day!

I took my first Lupron shot just a little while ago. It's really happening!

I got everything out and prepped to do my shot, did the shot, and then realized I forgot to take a pic, so what you're actually seeing is a new needle and all the stuff I used... lol

This morning I started my day out with an awesome prayer time and time to just read and be, and I think that is the best way to start my birthday! I feel so far like this is one of the best birthdays ever, and haven't done anything else but clean my house and take a shot!!

Getting Organized...

Happy May!! Today is May 1st, tomorrow I start Lupron injections and will be exactly one month from transfer.

When I last started meds, I set aside a cupboard for my meds, but it has long since been taken over by other family meds, so this time I had to get a little creative. I went to Target in search of the perfect container. There were a few options in the Rubbermaid aisle, and I had picked one, but wasn't thrilled about it. I looked in the bathroom accessories aisle at shower caddies that you would take to college, getting closer to what I want...We kept walking and I decided on a hunch to stop in the cleaning aisle. I found it. Perfect! A cleaning caddy... hahaha. It has a handle, two big sides, a place for my folder and my sharps box, and two smaller areas in the front for bottles. Perfect.

Here's a pic....

Complete with post-its as reminders for when to do what, and on each pill bottle I put the date I have to start them on a post-it as well.

The things we get excited about, right? 

Coming up this week:

Getting our side of the contracts signed/notarized and sending to the lawyers

Start Lupron (Monday)

Start new pack of BCP (Tuesday)

Planning trip for transfer!

Tomorrow also happens to be my birthday, so I'll be getting loopy on my 30th birthday! 

Happy Birthday to me!

I don't know if I'll update again this week, but if not, I hope you have an awesome week. 

And of course, I'll start off this awesome week with a prayer...

Father God you are so awesome! Thank you for bringing us to this place. Thank you for allowing me to be your servant and help I&J in this way. I thank you for all the things that have been coming into place so easily and I thank you that you will continue to lead us and guide us into this journey. Father as so many things are about to start happening, keep our eyes focused on your plans and your will. I pray that you would guard over my heart, my mind, and my body as I start meds this week. Watch over us and keep us in your perfect peace as we set about doing all the things you have prepared for us to do this week. Help us all to have a great week and keep our hope ultimately in you. 

In Jesus Name, Amen!